


The gap between us

by mabukidot



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2015-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-21 01:11:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2449802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mabukidot/pseuds/mabukidot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sheba's teammate was injured during a battle against the fanatic magicians and gets a new one. It appears she knew him from the past and gets along with him really well. Maybe a little too much?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I know you

Sheba was worn out after coming back from battle. The fight to free the species exhausted her and she even had wounds, despite her Borg. The fanatic magicians were weaker yet stubborn and, when they unite, could cause real injuries. Sheba grimaced in pain and squeezed her left shoulder, bruised because of a spell a magician casted towards her. The burning sensation was unpleasant but what happened to Abril was even more. A moment of distraction and the enemy was able to hit her with a spell at the head. She fell out of the sky and was caught hold of by Mares at the last minute. According to the doctors, she needed to rest for a certain time to recover. Eventually, they won and could create another isolation barrier but Sheba was too tired to fully rejoice.

When she came back to the HQ, everyone was already having dinner in the main room. She headed for her usual table where Ugo, Arba, Solomon and sometimes Falan and Wahid sat. She sat as well after greeting her comrades and started to eat. Everyone has already been informed by the other members of the squad and chose not to talk about it with Sheba. She probably still felt guilty about what happened to Abril which they understood. When you are the leader of a squad, you feel like you must protect everyone. Sheba was sitting next to Wahid and Ugo and right opposite to Solomon and Arba. When she raised by reflex her left arm to grab a dish a comrade was holding out to her, Solomon noticed right away her face tensing. Sheba started to eat again when she felt locks of hair tickling her.

She blushed heavily when she realized that it was Solomon’s who was now inspecting her injured shoulder. She could feel his breath against her neck and her heart was pounding so hard she was scared he could hear it. Not that he was oblivious to her feelings for him but it was still embarrassing that she was the only one to react like that due to their proximity. She tried to wait patiently for him to finish but, as he kept on exanimating the injury, she burst out:

'Enough already, Solomon! It’s just a small bruise, I’ll be fine!'

Solomon sighed – letting another breath tickling her –and finally got back to his seat. The others were looking at them with mocking smiles on their faces but he seemed to ignore them. He looked at Sheba with a serious expression and said:

'Seriously, be careful next time or you risk to be injured like Abril...'

Sheba frowned at his remark but didn’t reply. There was now an awkward silence at the table. Solomon broke it by declaring:

'Anyway, the situation is what it is today so we need to find quickly a replacement for Abril while she recovers. I’ll spread the word tomorrow.'

Sheba nodded and came back to her room, impatient to go to sleep after that exhausting day. Two days after the events, Arba went to Sheba’s room to introduce her to her new teammate. The young woman didn’t want to show it but she was very reluctant to welcome Abril’s replacement. She was used to her usual dynamic with everyone and she also feared that Abril could be offended.

Solomon was at the end of the corridor speaking with an unknown man whose Sheba couldn’t see the face. When she arrived, Solomon greeted her and introduced her to the newbie.

'So, Sheba, I think it’s time for you to meet your new teammate.'

The new guy turned towards her and her eyes widened. Solomon put his hand on the man’s shoulder and added:

'The name is...'

He couldn’t finish his sentence as Sheba exclaimed happily:

'Nadim! I can’t believe it!! Is that really you?'

The young man replied with a big grin on his face:

'Sheba-chan! I’m so glad it’s you! I would have recognized this pink hair everywhere!'

Nadim laughed and hugged her so suddenly that it surprised both Sheba and Solomon. When they parted, Nadim was still holding Sheba by her shoulders and eyed her intently, completely ignoring Solomon’s presence. He said enthusiastically:

'You’ve changed so much, it’s incredible! I mean you look so pretty and grown-up right now!'

Sheba blushed a little and replied:

'You too, Nadim, I almost didn’t recognize you! You’ve gotten so tall and well-built, so far from the “little shrimp” I remember!'

Indeed, Nadim was as tall as Solomon and even more muscular. His face changed a lot too. He had light brown hair with swept bangs on his forehead and beautiful orange eyes. He was wearing the usual magician uniform as well as a personal staff. Solomon was observing the two of them and felt oddly strange. How did they know each other? And what is that familiarity that Sheba didn’t seem to mind? The two of them seemed in their own little world which made Solomon feel apart. Sheba seemed to finally remind his presence as she turned towards him and said:

'Oh! I almost forgot to tell you! Nadim and I were raised together in the same church and we were best friends back then.'

Nadim nodded and added:

'To think that one day I could team up with Sheba-chan, I’m so happy!'

Solomon frowned at the last sentence. Sheba-chan, really? He glanced at Sheba that didn’t seem to mind that surname at all and once again felt annoyed. Abril’s recovery seemed already to last too long.


	2. The wound

'Seriously, Solomon, you should stop frowning like that-aru! You’ll end up, like, having wrinkles, aru!'

They were all having lunch in the main room which resounded with the sound of loud conversations, jingling of the cutleries and laughters. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves by this pleasant day, everyone except Solomon. He barely touched his food, more preoccupied by the vision of Sheba and Nadim engaged in conversation few tables farer. Falan gave up on trying to bring Solomon back to reality and turned instead her attention to her husband and her son.

Solomon knew they were long last friends who didn’t even know if the other one survived when the towers were attacked and that they had a lot to talk about but still. Why did Sheba never talked about her past before? He only knew that she was, like so many others, brainwashed since she was little by these fanatics and trained to perform evil spells against the other species in the name of Ill Illah. He also knew she was the best drawer among the other magicians and Arba told him about the circumstances of her birth. And that was all. It was a whole world that Solomon was discovering but it was the first time he was displeased to have been kept away from it for so long. She had a best friend who knew things about her he doesn’t. Someone who gave her a surname, who knew how she reacts, what she likes and dislikes.

Arba, who was sitting next to him, gave him a gentle smile and said:

'Falan is right, if you keep on making that face, you’ll end up looking like an old man. The other species will never believe you are only 22.'

Solomon closed his eyes and finally laughed lightly at her remark. Arba had a gift to cheer him up when he was down. He turned his back to Nadim and Sheba and tried instead to focus on another conversation. He didn’t notice that the latter was actually glancing at him with an annoyed look.

A week later, Sheba’s squad came back from another battle. The fight was long and tough but they won eventually. Solomon heard that Sheba was hit in the leg zone by a heat spell and that she was suffering. Even though the magicians tried to minimize the news, he came anyway to check if everything was alright. 'It’s normal' he thought 'She’s leading an entire group, we can’t afford her to be too reckless during the fights...' He entered Sheba’s room where he found her resting on the bed. She looked surprised at his sight.

'Solomon! W-What are you doing here?'

He headed for the side of the bed and sat near her legs.

'I heard about what happened,' Solomon said.

He sighed heavily and added:

'You’re really too careless, Sheba and this could become a problem.'

Sheba didn’t say anything but her face tensed suddenly. Solomon looked at her with a serious face and asked:

'Anyway, where is this wound exactly?'

Sheba pointed her right upper thigh with her index finger and said:

'Here. Why?'

She startled and blushed madly when he started to lift calmly her dress to reveal the wound. She tried in vain to repel his hand and yelled:

'Don’t start doing things on your own like that! It’s fine, it’s going to be treated, you don’t need to look!!'

Solomon ignored her and stared at her injury. The place where it hit was dark red, slightly swollen and looked painful. Sheba was boiling.

'There, satisfied? So now, remove your hand, please!'

Solomon still ignored her and approached his hand to touch the wound. There was no real purpose behind it but he just wanted to. His gesture was interrupted to his dismay by Nadim’s entrance. The latter looked kind of embarrassed by the scene and Sheba took the opportunity to push Solomon back and cover her thigh. She was now crimson red. She said to Solomon without looking at him in the eye:

'Y-You can leave now, Nadim is going to take care of it.'

Solomon turned his head towards the young man and asked Sheba:

'Why is it him who will treat your wound?'

Nadim answered instead of Sheba with a little smile:

'I have studied the basics of medicine at the church to be able to treat my comrades whenever they were attacked. I was pretty good actually.'

But that explanation didn’t seem to entirely satisfy Solomon.

'You know the basics but will you actually be able to treat a leg injured by a heat spell?'

Sheba frowned and answered for him:

'You are being rude, Solomon! He knows that better than you, that’s for sure!'

He finally accepted but at the condition that he will stay and give a hand. Nadim got more and more embarrassed at the situation but didn’t know how to tell the actual leader that he was more of a burden than a help right now. Nadim sat right next to Sheba’s right leg and started to look at her injured thigh. Solomon noticed right away her embarrassed face when he was feeling the zone and couldn’t help but interfere.

'Why are you not applying ice on it yet? And what about the bandage? Will she be able to walk normally after that?'

Nadim replied patiently to all his questions and kept on treating her injury. He gave Sheba an ointment to apply on her wound and left the room saying he would come back later to dress her wound. Sheba took hold of the jar and started to do as Nadim recommended. It seemed to relieve her from the pain a lot and Solomon started to imitate her when she stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

'What are you doing exactly?' she asked the young man with a light blush on her face.

'I’m helping,' he replied calmly.

He tried to approach his hand again but she squeezed his wrist tighter.

'I can do it by myself, thank you!'

Solomon tried to force his way but she was resisting.

'You can leave Solomon.'

'Why don’t you let me help you?' he asked and then, added 'Stop acting so childishly Sheba!'

It was too much for the young woman who busted out:

'I’m not childish Solomon! In fact, I’m a grown-up now and you are the only one who can’t see that! I don’t want you to touch me, I can’t stand it, is that so hard for you to understand?'

Solomon stared at the panting young woman for a moment, shocked by her answer. He lowered his head and replied coldly:

'But it’s okay if it’s him, right?'

Sheba looked at him surprised.

'What?'

Solomon kept on.

'It’s okay if it’s Nadim, that’s what you meant, right? You can stand it if it’s him?'

He looked at her, almost angrily. Sheba frowned and replied with a tone that sounded like it was obvious:

'That’s not the same with him indeed.'

Solomon clenched his fists and was about to say something but hold back at the last moment. He stood up so suddenly that Sheba startled and left the room without another word.


	3. A source of comfort

The atmosphere between the two magicians had changed since that day. They were barely talking to each other and the few they did was actually about official matters such as the strategy points during the battles or the organization of the group when they attack. The tone remained polite yet cold and they kept their distance from each other. Even though nobody knew what happened between them, rumor has it Sheba kicked Solomon out of her room where she was treated by her brand new teammate. Nobody dared to ask directly to Solomon what happened and the few who asked Sheba got a brief and unsatisfying reply.

Nadim’s treatment was very efficient: Sheba was recovering quickly from her injury and was ready for another battle. The young woman tried to not show it but her argument with Solomon had affected her to the point she was smiling rarely and barely ate which the young man had noticed already.

One evening, while everybody was having dinner, he decided to look for her. He knocked at her door and smiled gently at the vision of a depressed Sheba lying on her bed, her face buried in a pillow. She startled when she heard him saying “You never change, don’t you, Sheba-chan?” The young woman raised her head towards the voice and exclaimed:

“Oh God, Nadim, you scared me, I didn’t hear you! How did you know I was here?”

The young man laughed and replied:

“You have always had that habit! Everytime you were upset, you were always hiding in your room and the teachers had to send me to find you and make you come back!”

The young woman raised an eyebrow and asked:

“Is that your intention right now?”

Nadim grinned and answered:

“Nope. But we can go outside if you want, just to get some air.”

Sheba stared at him for a moment and eventually stood up. She said without smiling:

“Just to get some air, then.”

They were now outside, walking calmly in the deserted streets. The weather was warm but pleasant thanks to a fresh little breeze. Sheba didn’t want to talk about what happened between her and Solomon and hoped Nadim won’t ask her about that matter. If he would, she would answer him the same reply she gave to Arba, Falan and the others: nothing that would affect the organization of the resistance. Fortunately for her, Nadim preferred to talk about the past. He told how he was captured by the magicians when he was twelve and kept under watch by the Gorgon tribe. When he realized that they were not filthy monsters as he thought, he decided to join their side.

The young man was also curious about why Sheba changed her mind concerning her previous ideals. Sheba talked to him about her rescue from the tower, the difficult beginnings with the group, Momo and – she couldn’t avoid it- Solomon. Solomon who showed her why she was completely wrong, what her magic was actually doing to the other species. Thanks to him, she had discovered a whole new vision of the world and even a family. She suddenly stopped. Talking about him made the young woman feel sad. If only there was a way to solve this problem.

Nadim leaned his head towards her and asked:

“I don’t mean to be indiscreet, Sheba-chan but... how can I put this... are you in love with Solomon?”

Sheba froze and blushed heavily.

“W-What are you saying, you idiot!! I’m not, definitely not! Why would I love such a cold heart and tactless man, anyway? I respect him and am loyal to him b-but love...”

The young man laughed and said:

“So, it means yes, I see...”

Sheba tried to protest but Nadim replied:

“Come on, Sheba-chan, I know you ever since we were kids!”

The young woman finally gave up and said, defeated:

“I can’t do anything, he knows my feelings but keeps stubbornly on treating me like a kid... Last time, we fought because he wanted to help me applying the ointment you gave me without realizing how embarrassing it could be for me! He even said I was behaving like a child!”

At that point of the conversation, they were back in front of her door. Nadim stroked gently her head and said:

“I’m sure he’ll finally realize how amazing you are, don’t worry!”

Sheba asked with a little voice:

“Really, you think so?”

The young man nodded which made her smile. She was really happy to have met him again. It reminded her when they were kids. He was always here to cheer her up and had the patience to deal with her hot-tempered nature. After dinner, Solomon was heading for his room when he encountered Mares.

“Ah Solomon” he said looking tired “Good to see you! Can you do me a favor, please? It’s about Abril. Can you tell Sheba she’s recovering well, I’m sure it will make her feel better!”

The young man was now heading for Sheba’s room to give her some news he knew would cheer her up. And, who knows, maybe it’ll be a good opportunity for them to reconcile. He was about to turn on the left side of the corridor towards her door when a vision made him stop and hide behind a wall, peeking behind his shoulder. Sheba and that new magician were hugging tightly in front of her door, her head resting on his chest and she was smiling. What the hell was that about?? Solomon had found odd earlier that they were both missing dinner but was it what it really looked like? The young man tried to pull himself together and to collect his thoughts. It was Sheba. She’s not this type of girl. She’s a dreamy and innocent girl who loves pure romance and lovey-dovey things. She was even blushing when Arba was talking about sex last time. Yes, that was it. It was all a misunderstanding.

Solomon stopped the flow of his thoughts when he heard the young woman speaking again.

“Anyway, thank you Nadim for coming to see me in my room tonight and comforting me. It helped a lot.”

Solomon felt his heart skipping a beat. She didn’t mean... she couldn’t mean... Nadim replied:

“Anytime you want to feel better, Sheba-chan. I’ll gladly come to find you!”

They ended the hug and Solomon heard Sheba chuckling and saying:

“You’re definitely no more a little shrimp, I can feel it!”

They both laughed and parted after wishing each other good night.

Solomon was still leaning on the wall, unable to move one inch of his body. He couldn’t believe what he just heard. His hands were shaking in rage and he felt like punching the very same wall he was leaning on. That bastard dared doing that to Sheba. “So, that’s right” Solomon thought “She really doesn’t mind if it’s him...” The young man turned his back, clenched his fist and ended up punching the said-wall. He was still furious and hurt inside. “Alright, man! If you want to play that game” Solomon whispered, his right hand now bleeding “then let me play it too.”


	4. Friend

The next morning Sheba got called by Solomon in a discreet place. The young woman was nervous: apparently it was about Abril’s condition. When she came into the room, Solomon was already there, sitting on a pile of cushions on the ground and reading a book. Her nervousness increased drastically when she saw him. She recalled clearly what happened last time they were alone in a room and thought for a second to turn back but she needed to know more about her teammate’s whereabouts.

Lost in her thoughts she flinched when she heard Solomon’s voice talking to her:

“Ah, you are here, Sheba. Come and sit down in front of me” the young man added while pointing to the cushions.

But she didn’t move an inch, staying in front of the door. Solomon sighed and closed softly his book. He looked at her gently and said:

“You don’t need to be nervous with me, Sheba. If it’s about what happened in your room, I’m sorry about that and I promise I won’t touch you anymore. Alright?”

She relaxed as he expected but was surprised by the look on her face, like she was maybe disappointed? She sat anyway and asked him without looking at him in the eyes:

“Apparently, you have news concerning Abril. How is she?”

Solomon regretted the distance that took place between us but, at least, they were talking to each other.

“She’s fine, she’s recovering even quicker than the doctors expected and, if everything goes well, she’ll be operational in few days” he answered with a smile on his face.

Sheba looked at him, surprised and said:

“Really? T-That’s fantastic!! I’m so happy, I... really...”

Tears were falling down as she was now saying those words with a trembling voice. It was at that moment that Solomon realized how worried and guilty the young woman actually felt throughout the days. He really wanted to comfort her by, at least, touching her hand but stopped his move at the last moment and clenched his fist. He promised and he needed her trust. The only thing he could do was talking, so he did.

“It was not your fault, Sheba, and Abril knows it too. You did the best you could and everybody knew the risks. If nobody talked about that incident, it was to make you feel comfortable.”

The young woman glanced –finally- at him, her eyes still teary and Solomon smiled gently at her while saying:

“We all know what you feel right now because we all have experienced the same thing. If you need to talk or just company, you can come to us.”

He hesitated for a second but added eventually:

“You can talk to me too, anytime.”

Sheba took his hands in hers and squeezed them while giving to him a weak smile. She said with a stronger voice:

“Thank you, Solomon. You have always found the words to make me feel better.”

“Only the words, huh?” the young man thought.

At least, they were back on good terms for now. Sheba added as she had read his mind:

“I’m also glad we made up, I hate being mad at you!”

Solomon said, looking right into her eyes:

“Me too, I really miss talking to you or being with you.”

He stopped before saying too much. Or maybe it was too late. Sheba didn’t let go of his hand and even replied:

“I understand that feeling.”

She looked like she was flustered by her answer yet sure of it. Time seemed to have stop and, without thinking, Solomon started to lean slowly towards her. She wasn’t moving which he found quite encouraging and kept going. He could feel his heartbeats increasing and, despite knowing that it could be a bad idea, couldn’t help but wanting to kiss her. He was almost there when someone knocked at the door. They both came back to reality at the sound. Solomon came back reluctantly to his original place while Sheba let go of his hands like they burned her. She was red from head to toes and Solomon was silently cursing whoever interrupted that moment.

The sight of a smiling Nadim at the door couldn’t have been less annoying at that moment. The young man looked at them and said:

“Sorry for disturbing but we need Sheba-chan immediately for the visit of the Hermit tribe.”

The young woman stood up and thanked once again Solomon. They were about to leave when Solomon spoke to Nadim with a serious tone:

“Can you stay for a moment? I need to talk to you about something” and then to Sheba “That won’t take long, please go ahead. And close the door behind you.”

The young woman looked intrigued but eventually left. When they were both alone, Solomon stood up and calmly headed for Nadim. The latter said:

“Good to see you guys made up. Sheba-chan was so worried about this and Abril too.”

Solomon stopped in front of him and replied coldly:

“And you, as a good friend, comforted her, did you?”

Nadim seemed a bit surprised but replied nicely:

“Yes, of course. She’s a dear friend to me!”

The blue haired magician frowned.

“And, according to you, that’s what friends usually do to comfort their comrades?”

Nadim seemed lost.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Solomon glanced at him and said:

“I saw you last night in front of her room so there are no need to pretend. You took advantage of her emotional state that night, this is disgusting!”

Nadim remained silent for a moment and seemed to realize something. He said with a sneering grin:

“Did that look like I forced myself on her? You weren’t there at that moment, you know.”

Solomon froze, feeling like boiling inside. Nadim carried on his comment.

“She came on me and didn’t push me back even once. You seem to wonder why I didn’t push her back. Well, it’s simple: she’s really pretty and cute. We feel comfortable around each other and we trust each other. I won’t need too much effort to make her m-”

He couldn’t finish his sentence as Solomon grabbed him by the collar and pushed him violently against the wall. His hand still grabbing firmly, Solomon looked right into Nadim’s eyes and said with a calm yet cold voice:

“Everything is settled now so you don’t have to take care of her worries anymore. Abril will be back soon which means this will be over. Just keep being a traditional nice friend to Sheba and nothing more.”

He finally released Nadim from his grasp whose grin had finally disappeared.

“I see now. She’s as much of a friend to me as to you... Alright, I won’t do that again with her but I’m still in the fight no matter what! I can make her happy, I know that. Your time with her has ended and mine has begun.”

Solomon grinned and replied:

“I’ll never give up and that’s not a cocky brat like you that can make me bend.”

They stared at each other and Nadim eventually left the room.


	5. In the dark

Ever since this quarrel, Nadim’s behavior towards Sheba highly changed: he seemed to be flirting constantly with her as he was always playing with locks of her hair, leaning closely over her, making her laugh with silly jokes or touching her shoulders or arms. Sheba didn’t get the clues but that was not the others’ case. They both looked as close as if they were dating, much to Solomon’s dismay. The latter tried to stay composed whenever this kind of scenes happened but the fact that Sheba didn’t seem to mind this proximity... Solomon closed his eyes, trying to prevent a headache coming. They were frequent now due to the current situation. He had troubles sleeping as he was not sure that Nadim kept his promise concerning the evening meetings in Sheba’s room.

He met Arba in the corridor who informed him about their trip tomorrow to an island they discovered recently. According to Ugo and Ithnan, it could be a great place to install the isolation barrier as this place was big, welcoming and not too far from the HQ. They just needed to spend the night here to ensure the species about their sincerity. Sheba’s group would also take part in the trip including Nadim, Arba added looking amused. The whole group seemed to find the situation quite entertaining and even teased Solomon about it. They were all more looking forward to see the evolving of the situation between those three than the island itself.

Sheba’s eyes widened at the sight of the so-called island. The land was absolutely tuning with flourishing vegetation, big forests, high mountains and impressive waterfalls. The place was definitely favorable to the establishment of a village. They spent the day walking through the island looking for potential sources of problems which they didn’t find.

It was sunset when they pitched camp near a lake separated by large trees and numerous bushes. The group was not large actually. Sheba’s one was composed essentially of men and Solomon’s included their close friends, plus Tess. She preferred to wait that all the girls came back from the bath to take her turn. She pretended she also had to wash a stain on her clothes so that she could be alone. The truth was that she didn’t want to be picked on by Arba or Falan if they knew how nervous she was at the thought of a naked Solomon right behind the bushes. She took her towel and headed towards the lake. It was really dark tonight and difficult to orient oneself.

Solomon was sitting on a rock immersed in the water till waist. It was really dark now and everyone had already headed back to the camp. “Good” he thought “It will be easier to relax now that I’m alone...” He had first to take a bath with everyone as he couldn’t find a convincing excuse to come later. Worse, he had to see that his rival’s body was well-shaped - even there! – which didn’t make his mood better, on the contrary. Sheba saw this body, touched it, kissed it and so on. Solomon dived completely into the water, trying to chase these unpleasant thoughts and, when he came back up, discovered a surreal vision lightened by the moonlight: a young naked pink-haired woman who was sitting in the water and was facing the opposite side.

The young man didn’t have the time to say something or move an inch as Sheba turned her back towards him. Their eyes met and, as she was realizing what was going on, Solomon put his hand on her mouth to prevent her from screaming and so, making the whole camp out. A commotion could really be a problem. He tried his best to only look at her face and said without putting his hand off her mouth:

“If you shout, you’ll create a ruckus, so please, refrain yourself...”

She nodded and Solomon finally released her. As they were in the middle of the lake, it was hard for them to go back to the shore quickly. Sheba was covering her chest with her arms wrapped tightly around her body and she was looking everywhere except towards Solomon.

She was really beautiful in the moonlight with her hair darkened by the water and calmly waving around her. Even though Solomon could guess how thin and well-shaped she was under her clothes, the vision that was taking place under his eyes was almost unbearable. The young man didn’t need to hide anything as the water was covering his waist. Sheba was blushing madly and said:

“I-I thought it was the girl’s side, I swear!! I’m really sorry, really!!” she said, her arms tightening their grip around her chest.

The young man said gently:

“It’s fine, nobody’s dead, it’s just an accident...”

Sheba replied:

“No, it’s not fine, I’m naked and you are also...”

She paused apparently unable to finish her sentence. The young man sighed:

“It’s okay, I’m telling you! It’s not like something is going to happen between us, right?”

It killed him to say that but he hoped once again that his calm composure would help them to remain on good terms. But it had an effect Solomon didn’t expect. Sheba’s was frowning and she seemed to be angry. She suddenly turned to the left and headed for the shore. Without thinking, Solomon followed her. He knew he was supposed to stay put but her expression... Something was odd. He was behind her when she arrived. She was raising her left hand to grab her towel when Solomon took the said-hand with his right one to try to keep her. He needed to see her face once more. His move surprised Sheba and she said without turning her back:

“Release me, please! I have to go back!”

But Solomon was still holding her hand and was determined to know what was going on.

“Alright but show me your face first!”

Sheba was struggling to release herself but he was too strong.

“Why?” she asked.

And Solomon answered:

“You looked like you were upset, like now actually. I’m telling you I won’t do anything to you so why are you like that?”

Sheba was struggling harder and it was hard for Solomon to maintain his grip. The young woman shouted angrily:

“I know! I know you won’t do anything, so stop repeating that!! You don’t see me like this, I’m well aware of that!”

At these words, Solomon couldn’t contain himself any longer and pulled her hand towards him. Sheba turned around and the force made her flatten herself against Solomon’s body. She immediately tried to escape but the young man hugged her tight. He knew she hated his touch but it was his last chance. He leant near her ear and whispered:

“What makes you think I don’t see you like this?”

Her hands were against his torso and she didn’t seem stable on her feet. She replied:

“My wound, you didn’t seem to mind touching it even though...”

She paused and Solomon tried to finish for her.

“Even though it was on your thigh?”

She muttered a “yes” and added with difficulty:

“You keep on seeing me as a kid and... that hurts, you know.”

She fidgeted which was not helping. Suddenly she froze as she felt something touching her stomach. She was still young but was well aware of what it could be.

“S-Solomon”

Sheba started to say as she was raising slowly her head towards the young man. She saw expressions she has never seen before: embarrassment, confusion and... lust!! He tightened his grip which made her shiver and said:

“I’ll stop if you want me to.”

Sheba trembled. She never did it before. Not that she didn’t know how to do it but... She glanced at him once again and said:

“I won’t... stop you.”

His heart jumped at her words and he started to kiss her with passion. The feeling of her lips was incredible and the fact that she was responding made him so happy. He stroked softly her right cheek with his hand and deepened the kiss by putting gently his tongue. She hesitated and then joined him which made her even moan. His left hand was tightening her waist and all of his body was against hers. It was his first time but it felt so natural with Sheba that Solomon wasn’t even scared.

He was kissing her neck when they both heard Falan calling Sheba behind the bushes.

“Shebaaaa! It’s cool to take a bath and like splash about but we are all going to bed in two minutes so hurry up, aru!”

They both looked at each other almost unable to make a coherent decision but Falan’s repeated calls forced them to separate.

Sheba whispered while she was wrapping a towel around her body:

“I-I have to go or Falan will know...”

Solomon nodded and replied in a whisper:

“I know, if she finds out...”

They both seemed to be about to add something but, as they couldn’t bring themselves to say it, Sheba finally went out the water and disappeared behind the trees. None of them slept that night.


	6. Change of sight

The following days everyone could notice how things between Solomon and Sheba had changed miraculously. They were both talking to each other like nothing during these days had happened and seemed even closer. Nadim did not miss the fact too that, after coming back from the lake, Sheba’s lips were slightly swollen and red, and her neck had light marks on it. She was actually using her long hair to hide it while Nadim pretended he didn’t see it but his mind wasn’t deceiving him. Something definitely happened that night, something that seemed to please Sheba and changed her relationship with Solomon. Nadim was observing them, chatting vivaciously and could see that his plan was a success. Everything was fine now. So, why wasn’t he able to smile while looking at them? What was wrong with him?

Nadim shook his head. Sheba was a friend now. He never told her his feelings when they were kids and he was sure that they had vanished as time went by. He thought that this feeling of happiness that filled him when they met again was only because he felt relieved she was alive but now... Maybe he was so convinced that Solomon wouldn’t do anything, Sheba’s feelings would lose their intensity and that she would realize that it was actually a childish crush.

Nadim closed his eyes and breathed slowly. The only thing he was sure was that he didn’t want to be the “cute little shrimp” in Sheba’s eyes anymore. Not just the good friend who listens nicely while giving warm smiles, the little brother she never had, not anymore! This time he will give his all to show her a different sight of him.

He came at her door that night just like that time and they both went out after he told her that he missed their walks. They both sat in front of the main building and stared at the sleepy city in silence. Nadim turned his head towards the young woman whose hair was dancing graciously in the wind, her eyes lost in the contemplation of the calm city. Not able to hold it in any longer, Nadim asked abruptly:

“So, things with Solomon seemed to have change drastically, am I right?”

Her face blushed heavily and a shy smile appeared. She replied:

“They did, it was when we were at the lake. It’s a long story but at the end we kissed and things would have probably gone further if Falan...”

Sheba couldn’t finish her sentence as she felt Nadim kissing her. She was so shocked she didn’t try to repel him immediately but she got a hold of herself and broke free from the unwanted kiss when Nadim tried to push her back towards him in order to prolong the moment. She instinctively moved back and asked him in disbelief:

“What are you doing exactly?? I don’t get it, I thought we were friends...”

“No, Sheba-chan, you were the only one who thought that!” Nadim answered angrily.

Her eyes widened and her questions became confused.

“I-I didn’t know.. Since how long you..? And why did you help me if..? Tell me, please.”

The young man sighed and looked at her with pain in his eyes.

“Ever since we were little actually. I was always here for you, Sheba-chan, to cheer you up, to make you laugh, to play with you. I was trying to have your attention, just like now.”

He had a sad laugh that broke her heart. She started to reach her hand towards his shoulder to comfort him but the young man took it in his hand and asked her:

“You need to understand Sheba-chan, I love you, I will always love you and I’ll be there for you, like I’ve always been! I can make you happy, more than him!”

Sheba shuddered and replied:

“You know how I feel about Solomon and after what happened..”

“He kissed you, yes, and then? Did he tell you he liked you, that he wanted to date you? What happened after that?”

Sheba was unable to find a proper answer to his question and felt terribly sad. She was so happy about that night that maybe she thought too much. She was just a girl for him, she was upset so maybe he just wanted to comfort her by pity with no feelings.

The weather seemed now cold outside and Sheba wanted this to end. Nadim kissed her hand before releasing it and said:

“I’ll wait for your answer, so please consider me as a real potential boyfriend from now on.”

He stood up and came back to his room while Sheba was still sitting on the marches, feeling lost.


	7. Stuck in the middle

The next morning, at a very early hour, Sheba was lying on her bed, unable to forget Nadim’s words about how Solomon actually considered her as well as this sudden confession about his lingering feelings. For having spent such a long time with him, she knew he didn’t lie that night. But she was also sure that their friendship and love for each other were as innocent as if they were siblings. Sheba tried really hard to picture him as a lover but in vain. She was aware he was very attractive, smart, kind, the perfect boyfriend to sum up. The scene of them holding hands, being all lovey-dovey and sharing a kiss made the young woman incredibly uncomfortable. The same thought about Solomon made her instantly flush with butterflies in her stomach. The comparison was clear as water and yet Sheba realized that her options weren’t really ones: on one hand, a great guy who loves her but she can’t love back and on the other hand, another great guy she loves but who doesn’t seem to bear any romantic feelings for her.

At that thought, the young woman turned to lie on her belly. She put her face on her pillow while clenching her sheets, frustrated. She did know she had to turn him down as she knew too well the torments of an unrequited love but what of it was at the cost of their friendship? They were finally reunited and a rejection would make things really awkward between them, especially as they were in the same team.

Sheba sit up facing the wall and made a decision: tonight, she will settle everything with Nadim but also with Solomon. At least, she will be sure.

When she entered the main room for breakfast, the young woman was happy to see a familiar scene: all the magicians drinking and eating in a cheerful atmosphere. No signs of Solomon or Nadim. Sheba decided it was for the best to not give the latter false hopes which is why she headed for the table where Arba, Ugo, Setta and Ithnan were sitting. A neutral territory would be the best for now. The group looked surprised when she sat and Arba said to her gently:

“’Morning Sheba, good to see you! Have you slept well?”

Sheba nodded and greeted her back. Ithnan looked at her, intrigued and asked:

“You don’t eat with that childhood friend of yours today?”

The young woman replied:

“No, not today, I’ve realized I’ve neglected you guys for quite a while because I spent too much time with Nadim.”

Falan who was passing nearby added:

“Avoiding the childhood friend today Sheba, aru? Is it, like, because of a love confession, aru?”

Everyone expect Falan and Arba jumped and opened their eyes wide. Sheba blushed madly to which Falan chuckled softly and said:

“Looks like I hit the mark, aru! Well, I wish you, like, good luck, Sheba, aru!”

And left to join her husband and her son at the next table. The atmosphere around the table was now very awkward and Sheba kept on eating in silence, hoping for nobody to make a comment. Ithnan was about to make one when Solomon approached their table and sat next to Sheba. He immediately closed his mouth after a glance of Sett a. Solomon looked at them and asked:

“What’s with the big silence all of a sudden? What’s going on?”

As nobody was answering, he leant towards Sheba – very near – and asked again. Their sudden closeness made her heart pound so hard she was sure everyone in the room was able to hear it. She avoided his look and muttered:

“Nothing”

Ithnan, seeing the opportunity, replied:

“Actually, it’s because..”

Sheba interrupted him instantly and said:

“Ithnan has just made the lamest joke ever which left us all speechless! That’s why!”

The latter was about to deny when he caught her begging eyes. He sighed:

“Thanks Sheba, now Solomon knows it too!”

Solomon, satisfied with that answer, started to eat without noticing the young woman articulating in silence “Thank you” to her friend. Her plan was perfectly going except that Sheba had forgotten a detail. There was a seat on her other side. She realized it too late when Nadim sat. Everyone in the group was now looking at them – Nadim, Solomon and Sheba – with big annoying grins on their faces while Sheba was praying to be anywhere but here. She was even ready to fight David one on one right now instead of that! Nadim spent the entire breakfast talking with her, playing with her hair and whispering in her ear. This is what you can call being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Sheba was trying to be agreeable with Nadim to handle him carefully and, at the same time, act as natural as possible with Solomon to not look desperate. He didn’t seem to mind actually, seeming so absorbed in his books. Of course he couldn’t be jealous. She was maybe a woman for him but still a common one. She avoided looking at him for the rest of the meal and saw its end as a blessing.

She was in the corridor when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She almost gasped when she turned back her hand recognized Solomon.

“Can I talk to you for a second, alone?” he asked with a serious tone in his voice.

She nodded and they both waited in silence the corridor to be deserted. Finally alone, Solomon started to stroke the back of his head, seeming preoccupied and finally asked:

“I don’t know how to put this but... are you avoiding me by any chance?”

Sheba didn’t expect this kind of question, especially after his behavior earlier. What was the ideal reply, she didn’t know. She couldn’t say yes because, if so, she would have to explain why. Saying no would lead to an argument between them where she would finally admit that he was right. She answered the best way she could:

“What gave you that feeling?”

The young man replied:

“This morning, you seemed a bit restless and you were barely looking at me. Is it related to your conversation with the guys before I joined you?”

Sheba couldn’t help but startle. So, he noticed. She was thought he was denser than this but apparently not. Feeling a bit relieved, she decided she could be honest with him. Embarrassed by her reply, she was playing with her belt while focusing her eyes on the little red strings.

“I didn’t think you needed to be informed but Nadim... well... he confessed to me and I wasn’t sure...”

“When?” Solomon asked abruptly.

The young woman stopped her fingers immediately and raised her head, glancing at the young man. Something in the tone of his voice told Sheba that she shouldn’t have said that. But she also knew that it was too late.

“Last night. He confessed when we were out.” she replied and couldn’t help but add “I didn’t answer... yet.”

She looked right in his eyes, trying to find the slightest sign of anger or jealousy. Of course, she was lying but she needed to see his reaction. Solomon frowned a little and simply stated:

“So, you are considering his confession.”

Sheba nodded, keeping a blank face. The young man remained silent for a while and finally sighed while crossing his arms.

“No matter what your choice is, please give him a quick answer. Things need to be clear between the members of a team, otherwise, you won’t be able to be efficient.”

Sheba was expecting everything but that father-like answer. She suddenly felt nauseating. He was okay with this despite what happened between them. The night at the lake was now like an old memory and Sheba felt like she was going crazy.

“So, you agree with this? It doesn’t matter to you at all?” she asked with an expressionless voice.

The young man glanced at her, seeming surprised which angered Sheba. She finally imploded:

“I guess I was right after all! I’m nothing more than a comrade to you and that will never change! No matter what I do, it’s never enough and I’m sick of this! I was an idiot thinking that things would change after what happened at the lake. I don’t know what I am to you anymore: a daughter? A little girl? A common woman?”

Sheba took a step closer to Solomon and looked at him out of breath.

“Whatever it is” she added with a calm voice “I can’t take it anymore. I guess I really should give a thought to Nadim’s confession after all.”

Before any of them could say or do anything, Arba arrived, shouting their names. The fanatics were attacking the barrier protecting the species and it was about to give way.


	8. Surrounded

They were flying as fast as they could towards the barrier, already surrounded by the enemy. Solomon’s group arrival was welcomed by cheering and cries of relief. The situation was even worse than they imagined. The barrier was really weakened and threatened to give way. Sheba reunited with her squad including a worried Nadim. Indeed, the Gorgon tribe, his adoptive family, was involved in the fight and their safety was greatly threatened. Sheba executed the plan she judged the most efficient in that situation. She had already noticed the weaknesses on the enemy’s side and how to exploit them. Her squad will focus on the fanatics aiming at the Gorgon tribe as she already knew that Nadim wouldn’t be focused if they had chosen another target. Astaroth, leader of the tribe, joined them to the fight and each of them deployed as Sheba ordered.

While using her Borg to protect herself, the young woman started to repair the damaged barrier and make it even stronger to keep the species safe at the most. Meanwhile, the magicians were fighting and started to have the upper hand, and yet Sheba had a bad feeling. It was too easy. The fanatics were backing down but seemed to reunite slowly but surely in a circle around the isolation barrier. The young woman realized the trap she was in. All her allies had been purposely led away from the barrier, far enough to leave her alone to defend those inside by herself. She glanced around her waiting anxiously for the counter attack.

Much to her horror, she saw the barrier falling apart, exposing directly the weak ones.

“How come??” she thought in disbelief.

She didn’t have to time to wonder any longer as the rest of the fanatics who were still fighting suddenly evaporated and appeared the following moment by their comrades’ side. Mirages. They were now all here joining their hands on their staves with sinister grins.

“Shebaaaaa!!!”

She saw her friends shouting her name from every angle while rushing towards her, their eyes staring at her in fright. She felt an impressive source of Magoi emerging from the circle that was surrounding not only her but also the species below. She only had few seconds to act before the cast of the spell. Creating another barrier would take too long and it wouldn’t even guarantee everyone’s safety. Sheba closed her eyes and hoped it would work. A last image came to her mind as she was clenching her fists.

An impressive number of lightning struck at the place where Sheba was, blinding allies and enemies by a sort of light screen. The attack was so powerful that it made the magicians freeze, waiting with anxiety for their families’ fate. The smoke, created by the lightning, finally dissipated to reveal a city-sized Borg as solid as a rock. At its centre was an exhausted yet determined Sheba, floating with her arms up and outstretched. She was panting heavily and seemed to gather all her strength to maintain the Borg active. The confusion on the fanatics’ faces confirmed that they didn’t have foreseen this and the magicians took advantage of the situation to break the circle and start to chase them out.

Sheba watched the scene and sighed in relief.

“I made it, I was able to protect everyone. But I need to maintain it a bit longer. Just a bit longer.”

Black butterflies appeared in front of her, scaring her for a moment.“Black Rukh?” she thought. The young woman blinked slowly recovering a normal vision but the butterflies went back almost immediately. Her arms and legs were losing strength and her whole body was shaking. It wasn’t Black Rukh but herself losing consciousness little by little.

“I can’t faint now... If I do, it will be a disaster!”

Sheba straightened her back and did her best to focus on maintaining the Borg. The magicians started to have the upper hand and half of the fanatics were already fleeing. Unable to resist any longer, her Borg stopped as her squad started to fly towards her while shouting her name. Nadim was the first one to arrive at her level and took her by the shoulders, looking worried. She was about to collapse any second now. Arba was already raising another barrier while the rest was fighting the fanatics.

As Nadim was taking Sheba away to heal her, some retreaded fanatics aimed at them with powerful spells. Nadim was able to protect both of them the first time thanks to his own Borg. Unfortunately, he couldn’t dodge the second burst which reached him directly in the back. Nadim gasped of pain and fell, dragging a weakened Sheba with him.

Their fall was stopped in extremis by a gravity spell and they both landed softly on the ground. Lying on her back, Sheba glanced towards the direction where the spell was cast. “Solomon” she thought “Thank you” and collapsed.

The blue haired magician was flying towards her to protect her unconscious body as well as Nadim who was still weakened by the attack. He was casting a protection barrier, his whole mind focus on Sheba’s safety. He glanced at Nadim and said:

“We need to make sure she’ll be back as soon as possible to the HQ. Her state is really unstable.”

Nadim rose up with difficulty and replied:

“Thank you for saving us. I was about to do so but those bastards...”

He grimaced in pain and made efforts to stay on his feet.

“Stay here with her, I’ll send people to help you!”

Nadim tried to protest:

“I’m fine, I can do it!”

“Idiot!” replied Solomon with temper “Now is not the time to show off, she’s in a grave state, there’s no time to waste!”

Nadim remained silent. It was useless to add anything when it concerns Sheba. He knew it just by looking at his face. It was at this moment that two ships appeared in the sky just above them. Solomon looked at the young woman lying on the ground and said to Nadim:

“Make sure she’ll be safe, I’ll repel our opponents.”

The ships started to fire at them heavily. Solomon used his gravity magic to reverse the spell and made the ships explode. He seemed to have won until pieces of the ship started to fall at a high speed right towards Sheba. Nadim was able to repel most of them by casting a gust but one heavier remained. His impact would be strong enough to break a Borg. Magic was useless now and Sheba was in grave danger. Solomon rushed at her side and jumped on her Borg. The piece ended its flight as Nadim was turning his back, realizing too late what was happening.


	9. Chapter 9

Sheba's entire body was numb and she felt breathless. It was plain dark and she couldn't move an inch, too worned out to stand up. Something was definitely wrong, she knew it but her mind was like trapped in a heavy fog with no way to escape. What happened? Why was she in this state? Where was she now? A last question crossed her mind, clutching her heart in despair - _W_ _as she even alive?_  

Sheba tried suddenly to move, unable to calm down. Only her head was listening to her demand.  _"What's going on?"_ she thought anxiously, her breath getting heavier, _"I need to get up, I need to know!"_  

The sound of an explosion in the distance made her freeze. A few moments later, another one echoed. Everything began to be little by little louder and Sheba could finally understand where she was: a battlefield. She remembered now: the attack of the fanatics, the massive spell they used to annihilate the species below, her desperate attempt to save them and her fall, her long fall. Something - more like someone - saved her from a certain death, she was sure of that. His name, she couldn't forget it.

"Solomon" Sheba said with a weakened voice.

An intense ray of lightning pierced the fog, revealing nothing but devastation around her. The ground was destroyed, full of smoking holes, caused by heavy magic spells, and no one seemed to have survived from the fight.

A horrified Sheba started to shout her friends's names, looking on one side then the other, desperately searching for a familair face. "Arba, Wahid, Falan, Ugo, Setta, Ithnan, Nadim, Solomon" was a call that slowly became a litany as time went on. She actually had lost this sense after her umpteenth cry. Was it ever time to begin in this place?

Her head felt heavy again. She was almost begging for someone to answer, to save her. The same feeling as when she was in this tower. And, at that time, the one who saved her...

She startled at the sudden sound of pieces of metal falling from a crashed ship on her right side. She turned quickly her head towards the sound. Someone was under that pile, trying just like her to move. The figure was crawling towards her. Sheba wished she could have helped them but was only able to encourage them as loud as possible.

"Carry on!" she shouted towards them, "Please, don't give up, you're almost there! Follow my voice!"

She gasped when the person was cleared enough to be recognizable. The shock made her speechless as she was looking at Solomon - more like what remained of the man she once knew. His face was heavily scattered by what seemed to be broken glass and it was also burnt in some places, certainly due to the explosions she previously heard. One of his eyes was shut and the melted flesh of his right cheek made his face shaped like a weird and sinister rictus. His whole body looked like a crushed puppet and -just like her- he could barely move.

"Sh-Sheba" he said in a guttural voice, crawling towards her with all the force that remained in him.

She tried to move with all her will to reach his hand but in vain. 

"Solomon" she replied, her voice broken "I'm sorry, I can't... I can't move!!" 

He was too far away from her and she feared he couldn't reach her. 

He stopped, exhausted. He was breathing with high difficulty, his face on the ground, and was muttering something Sheba couldn't hear. 

"Solomon!" she called him and her throat her from the effort, "Please, keep on going, I beg you!" 

"S-Sorry..." Solomon left slowly his face towards her, giving her a painful look "Sheba, I'm so sorry..."

He collapsed on the floor, his body giving in at last. 

Her eyes opened wide and she started to shiver from head to toes. She felt like she was goign crazy, her mind trying to reject all this suffering and despair. He couldn't be dead, not him. She won't accept it, never! 

"Help!" Sheba screamed at the top of her lungs, ignoring the pain "Someone help us, I beg you!!" 

She shouted for a long time until her voice broke. She started to lose all hope and sobbed uncontrolably, watching the corpse of the one she loved.

"Solomon" she started muttering "Solomon, Solomon..."

She started to feel oppressed as if she was breathing too much and, at the same time, not enough air. Her mind went blank and it was dark again.

"Sheba! Please wake up, Sheba, it's a nightmare-aru!"

Falan's voice sounded so surreal that Sheba thought for a moment that she was a victim of an hallucination. Falan, alive? But the battlefield? All the dead bodies?

"Sheba, wake up, now!"

This voice right now wasn't Falan's but Arba's. Would it mean that...?

Sheba opened her eyes with difficulty and was dazzled by the bright light that was filling the room. She was lying in a warm bed, in a room she recognized well as the one where the injured were brought to be healed. Sheba started to reflect at full speed. Being in this room means she's in the HQ. It also means she's safe as well as Falan and Arba who were looking at her now with worried eyes. But what about...

"Wahid, Setta, Ugo, Ithnan, Nadim and... And Solomon"

She tried to shout the names but was too weak and ended up coughing. Falan gave her a glass of water and Arba started to pat her shoulder with a gentle yet worried smile.

"Everyone's safe, Sheba, calm down" she replied "Although, you three scared us a lot..."

Sheba took a deep breath and finally accepted to drink the glass of water Falan gave to her. Everyone is safe, everyone. She repeated this sentence in her mind countless times, trying to inprint the words in her mind and believe in them. The dreams she had felt so real she was still shaken.

"Us three? What are you talking about?" Sheba asked, disconcerted.

Then, Arba started to tell her about happened after she collapsed.

"We really thought that Solomon and you would die when he tried to protect you from the huge piece of the collapsed ship. Lucky for you, Wahid and Falan were able to destroy it before it could cause more harm than it should have."

"B-But Solomon? What happened to him?"

"Well, he got hit by small pieces in his arms and back but..." Arba added suddenly, anticipating Sheba's reaction "He's fine, he needs, just like you, some rest."

But Sheba ignored her advice and tried nonetheless to stand up, only to fall flat on the mattress.

"What did you expect-aru? You drained almost out of all your magoi, it's a miracle you are still alive-aru" Falan said, in a reproachful tone, even if Sheba knew it was because of the stress than real anger.

"We'll inform everyone about your state. They were so worried, Solomon even wanted to..." Arba stopped after Falan nudged her.

"If you keep talking, she'll never fall asleep-aru."

Arba laughed and agreed. Sheba wanted to know more but felt suddenly exhausted from all the excitement. Before she could realize, her eyes closed and she felt asleep.

  

 

 


End file.
